


It's A Wife Thing

by SydniDawn



Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/F, Sort Of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2019-10-29 20:34:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 17,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17815061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SydniDawn/pseuds/SydniDawn
Summary: Submission for the Magicians Rare Pair ChallengeMarina claimed it was the only way to save Eliot.Of course, they usually weren't stupid enough to trust a word to come out of her mouth.But.... They are that desperate.





	1. Chapter 1

"You're sure this is the only way?” Margo quirked her eyebrow.

 

Everyone looked over to Marina. Getting their memories back seemed to be the easy part of things. Finding out exactly what had happened to Eliot, seemed to come with built-in clauses and rather horrifying possibilities, all of which they would do well to avoid. Which is how they ended up back in Marina's apartment.

 

The woman had draped herself over a chair, quietly braiding three pieces of silk ribbon together. Red, to increase passion and strength, yellow for the spirit and intellectual connectedness, and silver, for stability, and to remove negative influences.

 

“To save your coked out bestie from playing sock puppet to the Monster?” The Hedge Witch scoffed, “You bet your sweet ass.”

 

“So we're just….” Quentin pushed his hair behind his ear, then frowned. It had gotten so short during the memory wipe. “Getting married.”

  
Marina stopped braiding just long enough to check her phone, “It's a magical handfasting.”

  


Quentin frowned deeply.

 

Margo pursed her lips, “That was the literal opposite of an explanation.”

 

Kady looked up, splitting her focus between learning the finger cast sequence to the handfasting in order to respond. “A magical handfasting is a binding ceremony, right?”

 

“Ten points to Gryffindor.” Marina focused her attention on Quentin and Margo, “It will essentially give you open access to each other's powers, and help you move as one.”

 

“So we'll be... drift compatible.”

 

The whole group turned to Margo in surprise.

 

The High King rolled her eyes, “There were countless sexy as fuck shirtless people all up and down those movies. Do you seriously think I wasn't going to go see it?”

 

None of them needed to know she had geeked out for months before the movies came out.  


“Point taken,” Quentin mumbled.

  
“Can I just say, for the record, this sounds like a hideously fucking bad idea.” Penny, always there with with the dose of reality.

 

“Noted, _Gretel_.”

 

Penny grumbled, sounding so much like their Penny with his disdain for Marina. Kady quickly nudged him, correcting his hand positioning before Josh flipped to the next page.

 

“I’m almost afraid to ask, but how does it work?” After how Marina responded to every other question, Josh almost hoped the world would swallow him whole.

 

Marina met his question with a deep, drawn out sigh, “In keeping with ancient tradition, the handfasting lasts a year and a day as a sort of trial marriage. The pair has full access to each other's magic no matter the distance, which means you will feel what the other does.”

 

“So we WON'T be married.” Quentin felt more confused than ever.

 

“You are bound to each other by magic and spirit. It cannot be broken without unimaginable suffering by both members.” The corner of her lip quirked, “So, yes. Married.”

 

This time, it was Margo’s turn to grumble, “Not even thirty, and this is my second marriage.”

“At least this one's legal.”

 

She gritted her teeth, “Don’t. Start. With. Me. Quentin.”

 

“I would like to second the "hideously bad idea" statement.” Josh made a longing glance at the door.

 

“Excuse the SHIT out of me. I risked my ass to help you fools, and yet here you are, whining over the cost.” Marina’s voice rose in agitation, “You two ruled a goddamn kingdom together as king and high queen, what the fuck is the difference?”

 

Kady narrowed her eyes, stopping all practicing in the process. “So we're all crystal clear, what exactly is the cost?”

 

“We are on a ticking clock here, people.” When they all continue to stare her down, Marina huffed. “Fuckery and Further, and the Lollipop Guild will lose all loving connections to anyone outside each other.”

 

Penny cackled at her nicknames for Quentin and Margo.

 

“They will be able to feel love -naturally-, but it will be faded; muted by the romantic bond with their 'spouse'.” Marina tied off the end of the cord, letting it dangle between two of her fingers, “That won't be a problem... will it?”

  
“I haven't felt love since my parents dumped me on the steps of my first boarding school.” Margo’s voice wavered just a little, “And if this doesn't help El.... There wouldn't be much point in feeling anything.”

 

All eyes were on Q. They watched him duck his head, pushing his hair behind his ears as he became lost in thought.

 

He didn't have to speak, really. They could all imagine the images of his dad, and Julia, as well as Alice and Eliot swirling around in his mind. All the love he felt, and continued to feel, weighed against the looming loss, even temporarily.

 

Margo had jump at the chance to sacrifice what little she had left for Eliot. But Quentin? That was a steep price to pay for a maybe.

 

“I don't think-…”

 

Kady cut him off, “I’ll do it.”

 

Marina's neck cracked with the speed with which she turned. Kady Orloff-Diaz, always predictably the fucking martyr.

 

“Switch places with me, Q.”

 

Kady motioned for him to start studying, waiting until he was fixated on the text before she spoke again.

 

“I don't have much love to lose. Perform the handfasting on Margo and me, that way Quentin can be there when we get Eliot back.”

  
It would do no good for Eliot to lose his untenable closeness with both his loves just as he regained himself. At least with one, he had a fighting chance.

 

“Kady…” Penny whispered.

 

Even separated, and even after living alternate lives and timelines, Penny was worried about her. Things had been so much easier when she was still Sam.

 

“It's just a year.” The non-detective crossed her arms, “You can't do it because shared power would involve travelling, Josh is just... Josh. Marina is performing the ceremony. Who the fuck else is there?”

  
She took firm steps -with more confidence than she was feeling at the moment- towards Margo. “I could do a lot worse than being bound to the High King and CEO of a fashion mag.”

  
“That's true.” Margo’s bravado slipped for a moment, before she grappled for her footing, “I could use a scrappy-ass detective by my side.... and a Warrior.”

  
For the first time in a long time, Kady and Margo shared a smile.

 

“For the record, you're an only child, correct?” The words were out of Margo’s lips the moment she thought of them, “Your birth dad doesn't have another child who’s going to come out of nowhere and behead you, right?”

 

Prince Fomar may be gone, but the memory of Micah’s head falling away from his body might just manage to haunt her forever.

 

Kady blinked in horror, “Umm…. I don't think so. He's the dictionary definition of deadbeat. Why?”

 

Margo shook her head, “Don’t worry about it.”

 

Margo’s smile turned into a pensive frown soon enough, growing quieter than she’s been in months.

 

“I need five hours.”

 

“Ex- _cuse_ me?!” Marina’s jaw clenched, “You were the one who was so gung-ho to save your bff!”

 

“ _I know_ , but I am back on Earth, and I can’t ignore this again.” Margo crossed her arms, “It is either five hours, or three days. Your choice.”

 

“Fuck that! The Monster is ready to eat our asses, and not in the fun way!” Marina squared off against Margo. “If you didn’t want to commit, you shouldn’t have volunteered.”

 

Kady yanked Marina away from Margo with no hesitation.

 

“Marina, chill the fuck out.” Kady turned so she was facing the smaller woman, “What’s going on, Margo?”

 

Margo ground her teeth, “I wouldn’t bring it up if it wasn’t important. To me.”

 

There was a moment, where Kady searched Margo’s eyes for something no one else could see, before she nodded. Margo the party girl had been rash in so many things, but High King Margo? Kady recognized that she was careful, and considerate. She could weigh the costs and benefits in the blink of her human eye, and the decision was the best one.

 

Even if it was something personal, Kady trusted her judgment.

 

“What difference is five hours going to make? We are still getting it done today.”

 

If anyone could change Marina’s mind… It would be Julia. But Kady was a close second.

 

“Fuck me sideways with a pickaxe! If your immature bullshit gets me killed, I will massacre your asses.” Marina pinched the bridge of her nose, “Fine! Do whatever you need to do.”

 

Margo’s phone was out in a second, staring down at it for a moment. Making the decision was one thing. Getting a yes was something else entirely. She unlocked her phone, searching out one contact in particular, and hit call.

* * *

 

A gorgeous older Indian woman breezed through the door a second after Margo got it open. She was stunning, with wonderful laugh lines next to her eyes and lips, and a regal air that matched even Margo’s.

 

Upon seeing Margo, she rushed to hug her tight.

 

“Auntie Rana.” Margo wheezed at the forceful contact.

 

“Beta! What’s going on?” Rana searched her niece’s face in concern. “You sounded frantic.”

 

Margo took a shaky breath, licking her lips in preparation before her best lie passed her lips. Her aunt was a formidable woman, a prominent doctor on the Upper East Side for almost two decades. She was not, however, a magician.

 

“A little.” She waved vaguely at the group behind her, “We just found out a friend of mine is about to be deported, and I’m the only one who is unattached…”

Her aunt gave a knowing look.

 

“Shoes off.”

 

Margo sighed in relief.

 

“Thank you, Auntie.”

 

Margo sat down on the couch, tugging her heels off as quickly as she could. Aunt Rana opened her purse, pulling the henna out of her purse, and setting it up on the floor beside her.

 

It clicked all at once for Penny. “Ooooh! That’s why she needed five hours; one hour to apply, four hours to stay on.”

 

Josh, Quentin and Kady shot him matching looks of confusion. He just waved them off.

 

“How much time do we have?”

 

“Not enough.”

 

Rana’s voice was soft, “The stain won’t be very dark.”

 

“I know.” Margo’s eyes turned downcast.

 

“Then I’ll be quick.” Rana nodded sagely, “Fingertips to wrist on both sides, and the tops of your feet. What is your fiancé’s name?”

 

“K-A-D-Y,” Margo watched her aunt carefully, “Kady.”

 

Rana’s hands stilled for a moment.

 

She glanced up at her niece, “Is she here?”

 

Margo shot Kady a look, which kept her quiet for the moment.

 

“She is.”

 

It’s only then that Rana took in the rest of the group standing awkwardly in the corner. “Don’t be shy! Mehndi is meant to be celebrated.”

 

Penny walked over immediately, with everyone else following suit soon enough. When Kady quietly sat down beside her, Margo smiled softly.

 

“You mean to tell me you have a nice Indian boy right here, but you’re choosing to marry this white woman?” Rana’s words weren’t quite as hushed as she had planned.

 

Margo was the perfect combination of horrified and impressed, “Auntie!”

 

Again, Penny cackled, pointing to himself without shame. “This nice Indian boy is American. Sorry Auntie.”

 

Everyone conveniently left out that Kady is ALSO American.

 

“He's also not that nice.” Margo winked at her aunt.

 

“Hey! You'd be LUCKY to marry me!”

 

“I would NOT.” The High King picked at a loose thread on her romper. “Kady’s a wonderful woman.”

 

Rana nodded once, “I’ll just _forget_ to mention this to your father.”

 

Margo chuckled.

 

“Oh, and one last thing!”

 

Rana reached into her pocket, holding her closed fist over Margo’s hand until she turned up her palm. When she did, Rana placed a gold coin in the centre, smiling as tears sprang to her niece’s eyes.

 

“A gold coin and a bride’s tears, both symbolize good luck.” She chuckled as her stubborn niece pouted over her own display of emotion, “And now I can start.”

 

Rana applied the mehndi with practiced delicacy, starting above the wrist, and moving down the palm and over her fingertips, before turning Margo’s hands over and applying similar designs to the back of her hands. She stuck to flower designs, and buds, symbols of happiness and the start of a new life weaving together to create the usual beauty and elegance despite the rushed application. By the time she finished her hands, everyone -even Marina- was watching intently.

 

The tops of her feet were less intricate but equally stunning, half a sun on each of her feet, meeting together in the middle in order to complete the symbol. Resurgence, immortality, eternal love, and knowledge; given the way the marriage was coming about, they couldn’t hurt.

 

As she was finishing up -and just under the hour mark- Penny let his mouth get away from him.

 

“Kady, are you getting mehndi too?” When everyone looked over at him, he clarified, “It’s tradition for both spouses to get it done.”

 

“I-…” She glanced at Margo, searching for any indication of her opinion. “Is that okay?”

 

Kady could navigate South Bronx with ease, even the bodegas of Washington Heights. But rich, beautiful Indian culture? Not so much.

 

“If there’s time?” She looked back to the older woman.

 

“There is.” Rana lowered Margo’s foot to the floor, and moved to Kady, waiting until she removed all her rings before starting again, “You speak excellent English.”

 

Quentin’s response was lightning quick, “She’s Canadian!”

 

Rana hummed, but didn’t comment. By the time she hit the hour mark, she finished her application, ignoring Marina’s sighs of annoyance with the practiced ease of everyone else in the room. She was gone twenty minutes later, giving the boys strict instructions on how to care for the mehndi. She seemed to understand the need for privacy, but made sure to speak to her niece privately first.

 

“I want pictures, if you can.” Rana placed a hand on Margo’s cheek, “And I expect to have you both over sometime soon. I would like to get to know your new wife in a less rushed capacity.”

 

“Thank you, Auntie.”

 

Rana left without another word.

 

Marina lit a cigarette before the door even closed, “You have until six o’clock on the dot before we begin.”

* * *

 

“Is it your wish today that your hands be fasted in the ways of old?”

 

Marina circled the women with a vulture's determination walking a circle inside the triangle the boys had formed around all of them. She watched their every movement, calculating the risks that would come out, and making the appropriate preparations.

 

Kady and Margo responded as one, “It is.”

 

Both women were facing each other, hands crossed over each other, left hand holding left, and their right hanging loosely against their sides. They seemed to alternate in sneaking glances, trying their best to read each other's reaction as they embarked upon this rather unusual journey.

 

Marina’s voice never waver, “Remember then as your hands are fasted, these are not the ties that bind, but the reminder of a deeper bond.”

 

She held the rope aloft, hands wrapped around each end.

 

“Your roles shall be now be strengthened by these vows. All things of the material world eventually return to the Earth unlike the bond, and the connection your spirits share which is destined to ascend to the heavens.”

 

Margo mumbled sarcastically, “As if I'm _getting_ into Heaven.”

 

Kady dug her nails into her wrist, smoothing it over as she rubbed the spot unconsciously. Marina handed the ribbon to Penny, before she started casting, hands moving technically and intricately through the spell as she spoke.

 

Kady and Margo waited until she finished the introductory cast, before they lifted their right hands, and casting in time with each other and Marina. With each movement, they could feel a pull towards each other, which only increased as their eyes locked.

 

“We ask the spirits of Air to keep open the lines of communication between this couple, their future as bright as the dawn on the horizon. As Air flows freely to and from and through us all, may their hearts and minds and souls come to know the world and each other in this manner. Seeing not only with their own eyes, may they together grow wise with wisdom.”

 

Marina stopped for a moment, taking the cord, and wrapping it under Kady and Margo's joined left hands, before draping the tails over the other sides. The boys started casting then, adding a layer to the spell, with six casters working as one.

 

Marina turned her focus more directly at the cord and their hands, and weaving together another layer of magic into the spell.

 

“Spirits of Fire, we ask that their passion for each other and for life itself remain ever strong and vital, fortifying each day with a vibrancy rooted in boldness, and courage. As Fire clears the way for new growth, may they know that this power is shared: to create change and bring about the richness and quality that comes with a true love of life.”

 

She took each end, wrapping it once around their left wrists. As Marina worked, the boys redouble their efforts, casting with greater intent and determination.

 

It was as if the weight of the silk increased exponentially, arms flexing, as both women wincing, their grip tightening on each other. Kady and Margo fought with everything they had to close their part of the cast.

 

“We ask the Spirits of Water, that their love for each other and the comfort of loved ones, like the serenity of the deep blue ocean, be the oasis that forever surrounds them. May they be well loved, and love well, letting the surety with which Water makes its journey to the sea, flowing over rocks or around trees, even turning into vapor and riding a cloud, ever serve as a reminder that with love all is well and will endure.”

 

With the connecting and wrapping of their right wrists just below the left ones, it became impossible to remain standing; Margo fell to her knees as the weight increased again. Kady fought through it, struggling until her face was red from the pain.

 

Marina was having none of it. Without breaking her cast, she kicked her foot into the back of Kady's knee, forcing her to her knees as well.

 

“Spirits of Earth, we ask that you give unto those you see kneeling before you this day, the rock solid place to live and fulfill their destiny. May their journey mirror the vast planes and fertile fields, expansive and alive. May they find the right seeds to sow to ensure a bountiful harvest. And when they look up at the Northern Star, may they know that it is as bright and constant as their love for each other as well as the love of the divine is for them.”

 

She took both ends of the cord, knotting it together, holding their hands and arms in place.

 

At first all they felt was the pressure, until there was an electric warmth that began to emanate from the silk. Soon, the warmth and pressure tightened around them.

 

Out of the corner of his eye, Penny noticed the mehndi colour had darkened to the deep, rich brown as the spell continued.

 

“Just as your hands are now bound together, so too, are your lives, forever one in passion and fire.”

 

Marina and the boys finished the cast, her movements becoming sharper and more powerful until the magic crackled in the air. Lines start at their joined hands, a current of electricity weaving up their arms, and across their bodies as Margo and Kady shook and twitched painfully. Both women were taken over by magic, as it cut through, and connected them to one another. The magic stopped at the centre of both of their chests, growing brighter, and pulsing in time with Kady and Margo's heartbeats. At first the pulses were uneven, erratic after the intensity of the ritual. But soon they slowed, and synced to one another, changing the magic lines to a beautiful rose gold.

 

Margo met Kady's eyes, both failing to hide the awestricken looks colouring their faces.

 

Marina remained uncharacteristically calm as she continued, “Because you cannot always be physically joined together, you will each give to the other a wedding ring as a reminder of your connection. It will be worn on your hand as a constant symbol of the bond shared between you as a married couple.”

 

Marina reached down, and unwrapped just their right wrists without untying the knots, before pulling them apart. She then took a plain ring, and dropped it into each of their palms.

 

The rings were unassuming, both plain bands, with the metal twisted and interwoven together to look like the cord around their wrists. The thicker of the two lay in Margo’s palm, a silver piece obviously made for Kady’s more androgynous style. The thinner gold band in Kady’s palm was all Margo, matching the elegance of her eye patches, and royal Fillorian gowns with ease.

 

Marina must have planned for this outcome all along.

 

“The ring finger of the left hand, the side of the body that holds the heart, has been used for the wedding band for centuries in the belief that a vein can be traced directly from that finger to the heart. Words that were spoken during the placing of the ring which would resonate over and over, like the circumference of the band itself, through to the heart and soul of both giver and receiver of the most monumental promise of all, the promise of a lifetime. You will each place the ring on your partner's left ring finger, and recite the words ‘ _Et nos unum sumus; we are one_ ’.”

 

Marina’s eyes met with Margo's, and so she began.

 

She slid the ring down to her fingers, and held it loosely. She then turned their joined wrists until Kady's was laying flat on top of hers.

 

“ _Et nos unum sumus_.” Margo carefully slid the ring onto Kady's finger, “We are one.”

 

Kady moved a bit faster, only hesitating as she lined the ring up with Margo’s hand.

 

“ _Et nos unum sumus._ ” Kady pushed the ring up Margo’s finger, “We are one.”

* * *

 

Josh was still helping to untie Kady and Margo’s left wrists when Marina started to head out.

 

“How are you feeling?” Penny asked.

 

Margo’s reply was immediate, “Sober.”

 

The High King’s focus was on Penny's hands, watching as he took the hint, and poured them all very generous tumblers of whiskey.

 

“I think I feel the same?” Kady’s brow knit, “A little hungry, but I skipped lunch.”

 

Margo handed Kady a glass, then picked up another, downing the whole thing in one go. She gestured for Penny to re-pour.

 

Penny elaborated, “No heightened feelings of love towards one another?”

 

Marina snorted, “They're married, not nauseating Disney characters.”

 

Finally, Josh got the knot undone, unwrapping their wrists, and freeing them from each other.

 

“Honestly, the only difference you'll see is in their magic.” Marina was more interested in checking her phone than she was the magicians in her apartment.

 

“That's good.” Quentin paused, gearing up for a bumbling ramble, “We could honestly use a win, especially….”

 

It's then that everyone noticed. After the cord was untied, Margo's hand slid down the back of Kady's arm, intertwining their fingers without thought.

 

Kady, the battle magician lone wolf, and Margo, the one-eyed king were holding hands.

 

Josh blinked, “Oh boy.”

 

“Well.” Margo hit her usual deadpan. “Shit.”

 

“So maybe not as ‘the same’ as I thought.” It was Kady’s turn to down her whiskey in one shot.

 

“There was a chance that was going to be a side effect.” Marina shrugged her shoulders, “Oops.”

 

Kady held her glass out to Penny, shaking it once until he poured more whiskey inside.

 

Margo rolled her eyes, “Not exactly informed consent.”

 

None of the boys failed to notice neither woman extricated their hands.

 

“Don't be fucking pussies. What's a little hand holding or cuddling if it stops the Monster from destroying us all?”

 

That was the turning point. Upon hearing hearing Marina's catty remark, Margo and Kady were like shrapnel, dropping hands, and moving as far apart as socially acceptable.

 

“This won't be awkward.” Quentin’s voice was dripping in sarcasm.

 

Penny was still eyeing Kady and Margo, even as he directed his question to Marina, “So what's the plan, now that they’re handfasted?”

 

Marina reached for the door, “The plan is, I go get shitfaced, and sleep with my fucking girlfriend.”

 

She was met with eye rolls all around.

 

Kady’s eyes turned heavenward, “He meant with Eliot, and our newfound… skills.”

 

“There is no rush.” Marina tapped her fingers on the doorknob. “I have no intention of wasting another forty timelines looking for a halfway decent plan. We will wait, and use the one brain we have between the six of us, and fix this shit.”

 

Josh frowned, “What happened to the ticking clock?”

 

“The ticking clock went to shit when Her Majesty made us take a hiatus. And even if we hadn’t, that was supposed to light a fire under your asses.” Marina rolled her eyes, “A fool-proof plan takes finesse.”

 

“Won't Bruno Mars be thrilled!” Kady shot Marina a biting look.

 

“I just gave you the night off. Would a thank you be too much to ask?” Marina turned to the group with a sigh, making a show of her irritation by shifting her oversized purse to her other arm. “Take shots, take a shower, masturbate until your little hearts give out. Just don't bother me about it until at least mid-morning tomorrow.”

 

She turned to leave, getting so far as to open the door before she stopped abruptly.

 

“There's one more thing.” Marina snapped her fingers. “In order to solidify the handfasting, you two must spend the night together.”

 

Quentin choked on his drink.

 

“Fucking what?!” Margo drew the words out, even with the alarmed inflection.

 

“It is a marriage bond, dipshits. You have to consummate.”

 

“And you didn't think to bring that up until NOW?!” Kady arm twitched as she fought the urge to start pacing.

 

Marina feigned innocence, “I forgot.”

 

At the horrified faces greeting her, she drops her arms in a dramatic sigh.

 

“You don't have to fuck, although, most prefer to. All that's required is sharing a bed while naked. And maybe one kiss.”

 

“Oh, so fucking without the exercise. _Brilliant_.” Margo’s hands went to her hips.

 

“This was _your_ choice.” Marina waved her hand towards the stairs, “I suggest you hop to it. Handfastings can be finicky; you wouldn't want to ruin all my hard work just because you're prudish.”

 

Kady gritted her teeth. “No matter the universe, you still manage to make me hate you.”

 

Marina ignored her.

 

“Go, sleep. Hell, use my bed. I'll be back in the morning to test my handiwork.”

 

And with that, the door closed behind her, leaving the apartment was left in silence.

 

“Soooooo…..” Josh drummed his hands on the back of the golden chair. “Anyone wanna spring for a pizza? Maybe some garlic bread, or-”

 

“Stop talking.”

 

Margo exchanged her glass for the whiskey bottle in Penny’s hand, before heading to the stairs.

 

“What, you need to be drunk to sleep with a woman?” Josh barely fought a smirk.

 

Margo turned a glare on him in a moment, “I've slept with as many women as I have men. I need to be drunk because I just broke my one and only rule: don't get married.”

 

Penny frowned, “Why didn't you say something before?”

 

“With the Hedge Bitch breathing down my neck? No.”

 

Kady felt something, a pull of worry playing at her throat, and she realized it is coming from Margo. Huh.

 

“As fun as pizza and garlic bread -really, Josh?- sounds, I'm with Margo. I just want alcohol, and a bed.”

 

Kady walked around, until she was standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at… her new spouse. “After you, _Wifey_.”

 

Margo groaned, and angrily started up the stairs.

 

“First I get yanked into another universe, then I have to rule the kingdom because all my co-royalty fucked off, and now I'm a goddamn wife. This is abso-fucking-lutely outstanding.”

 

“You owe me SO MUCH for this.” Kady locked eyes with Quentin, pointing harshly until he shrunk back a little.

 

Margo shouted down from what they assumed to be the bedroom, “Kady, you have thirty seconds to get your ASS up here, before I finish this bottle, and lock you out!”

 

Kady took a calming breath, before taking the stairs two at a time.

 

“Coming, dear!”

 

“I'm starting to reconsider my stance on letting Eliot violently murder me.” Quentin huffed.

 

Penny shoved Margo’s glass into Quentin's chest, neither man caring as the liquid sloshed over the sides.

 

“It could be worse….” Josh glanced between the guys, “One of US could be married to Margo.”

 

There was a second of quiet, before all three of them burst out laughing.

 

“I love her, but I would not have survived a year of being magically tethered to her.” Quentin flopped down onto the couch.

 

“You have to give her credit, though.” Josh adjusted his glasses, “That is a massive sacrifice that she made without hesitation.”

 

The comment sobered them.

 

Quentin’s voice wavered in seriousness, “Margo’s strong. And Kady is equally strong, which should keep them from killing each other before we save Eliot.”

 

Josh nodded at that.

 

Psychic abilities notwithstanding, Penny could tell just how worried everyone was. But unlike the women upstairs, he could distract the boys, at least for a little while.

 

“Finish your drinks, and grab your shit.” Penny yanked a slouchy beanie onto his head, “I know a place.”

* * *

 

Margo was stretched out on the bed in nothing but her underwear. She had stripped immediately, getting out of her off-white outfit with one hand, and taking a swig from the bottle with the other. Then came her yelling, and Kady stomping up the stairs. The High King had only just turned her back to the woman at the door when Kady posed a most unusual question: what were her thoughts about getting inked.

 

Half an hour later, Margo found herself laying face down, while Kady perched on her rear, tattooing the psychic block ward just below the faded cacodemon sigil.

 

“You should've let me tattoo you when I had the chance.” Kady leaned forward in concentration, “I hate that the cacodemon was your first.”

 

Margo turned her head to the right, resting her cheek against the bed in order to watch Kady as she worked. Most people wouldn't be able to see much of someone sitting on their ass. But most people didn't have a fairy eye.

 

“You _know_ my father was a little too narrow minded for THAT to fly, especially while I was financially tethered to him.”

 

Kady chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully. “I know it's been a minute since I last saw your dad..."

 

Margo frowned, "Yeah, it's been, what, six years?"

 

"When did Hannah and I help you and your mom move back?"

 

And there it was, the thing they never talked about. Hannah Orloff and Daniela Rico had been best friends since childhood; best hedges. They'd struggled through life together, and planned to let their lives move forward at the same pace. Until Daniela had married Arian Hanson. He had packed his new wife up and moved her across the country, and essentially cut ties with her hedge life. The only link left unbroken was Hannah, getting stronger in their distance, until circumstance had brought them back together for a while.

 

"Kady, don't." The warning was there in Margo's voice.

 

"Margo, come on." Kady's shoulders dropped. "Before I was even assigned to the Physical Cottage, we agreed not to know each other. But it's just us now, and we're married."

 

Margo puffed out her cheeks, and Kady knew there was something deeper going on.

 

"Your dad's going to hate this, isn't he?"

 

"My dad hates everything; my sexuality, my 'American independence'..." Margo rolled her eyes, "He despises mom's hedges tats."

 

"Is it a religion thing?” Kady turns the tattoo gun back on.

 

Margo shook her head slightly, “Not really, tattoos themselves are okay. It’s more of a misogyny thing, that doesn’t seem to go away, no matter how long he’s lived in this country.”

 

“Ah.”

 

“What about you? I don't even fucking know you anymore.” She started to turn, only to feel Kady’s hand forcing her to stay in place, “Tattoo artist in a past life?”

 

Kady let out an undignified snort, “I wish.”

 

She opened her mouth to elaborate, then closes it again.

 

“You don't have to tell me. But for the record, I was literally right next to you, living that tragic, neglected backstory.” Margo chewed her bottom lip. “So, if nothing else, I get it."

 

Margo felt Kady's fingers, delicate even through the gloves, run up and down her sides.

 

“You remember JJ, right? We started doing ink spells in high school while you were actually studying.” Kady dropped her head, “Even with Dani around, Hannah was still fucking us over left, and right, and I was still naive enough to want to help.”

 

Kady turned off the machine for the moment, but remained sitting where she was.

 

“The night vision tat on my wrist? It made me a better thief. I never had to bring a light, never turned one on; if she forgot to buy food for the week, I could get it myself.”

 

“You had that one when I last saw you." Margo reaches down, and taps Kady's knee, "How many do you have now?”

 

“Six total.”

 

Margo jerked in surprise.

 

“I've seen most of your bare skin. Where the FUCK are you hiding five more tattoos?!”

 

Kady chuckled, “There is one on the right side of my ribs, one under my left tit, and one on each hip bone, that are all protective sigils. The last one is on my left inner thigh is personal.”

 

With the machine turned off, Margo felt safe to sit up on her elbows, quirking an eyebrow at Kady.

 

“How far up?!”

 

“ _Very_.” Kady quirked an eyebrow at her.

 

“Naughty girl! I taught you well.” Margo purred in a way she only did while very impressed.

 

“Lie back down.” Kady jabbed a finger between her shoulder blades. “I wanna finish.”

 

Margo did as she was told, chuckling the whole way down to her original position.

 

“Do you do this with all your wives?”

 

Kady smiled back down at her, “No, you're just special.”

 

Margo winced as Kady went over a tender spot on her back. “Not to doubt you while you have ink and a sharp implement to my skin, but I didn’t think a ward would work.”

 

Kady chuckled.

 

“Psychic wards don't usually work against deities, but I figured, since it's two against one, we might have a better shot.”

 

Margo took a deep breath,“At the very least, it will keep Penny out of our business.”

 

“True enough.”

 

Kady scooted back a bit, darkening the lines here and there, drawing the complex sigils by memory.

 

“Now that we’re bound, we are vulnerable.”

 

“Something tells me I should live oblivious, but…” Margo glanced back up at her, “In what way?”

 

“What if the Monster jumps into my body, y’know? Or yours.” Kady took a moment to wipe off the excess ink, before she continued, “He could take over both of us; draw from our magic, and it would make him that much more powerful.”

 

“That’s a good fucking point.” Margo frowned, crossing her arms, and resting her cheek against them in thought.

 

“Even if the wards can’t keep him the fuck out, at the very least we can put up a fight.”

 

Margo hummed thoughtfully. “Two minds -and pairs of psychic wards- ARE better than one.”

 

“Exactly.”

 

She inked another two lines, watching the faint glow with activation, before turning off the machine, and resting it on the nightstand. Kady carefully rubbed petroleum ointment over the tattoo, and taped plastic wrap over the whole thing.

 

“And you’re done.” Kady slid off her body, and started repacking her machine.

 

“How does it look?”

 

Kady glanced back at her teasingly, “What, you can’t tell with your magic eye?”

 

“As fun as the thought of seeing a tattoo as it sits on each individual layer of the dermis, I would rather just see the design with my human one.”

 

“Go check it out in the mirror, while I clean up.”

 

Margo didn’t need to be told twice. She slid off the far side of the bed, wincing at the tenderness going down the middle of her back, before shuffling to the mirror.

 

She had to admit, Kady did good work. Her linework was clean, with minimal bleeding, and the ward activated immediately, without any mental effort from Margo. There were, however, four different symbols stacked one on top of the other.

 

Margo twisted to see her back more clearly, “Jesus, how many did you draw?”

 

Kady chuckled, “I told you I have four protection symbols; it seemed unbalanced if you didn’t have the same.”

 

“Did I flunk out of hedge witch training? I only recognize one.”

 

“I created two of them, and the other was passed down from a nomadic hedge witch I used to know.” Kady tossed her gloves into the trash bin. “You know the top one which is the _Aegishjalmur_ , which protects the bearer from outside evils and ill will.The second fights against possession. The third fights against psychic attacks, and the fourth shields thoughts from unwelcomed minds.”

 

It was then that Kady turned to look at Margo, only to stall.

 

The Hedge Witch -turned detective, of all things- would have to be blind AND dumb not to have noticed how attractive Margo had always been. Between her round face, her big brown eyes, and her gorgeous lips, there was so much to appreciate. Add to it her wit, and her snark, and the heart she barely hid on her sleeve… Even the most focused of people would be a goner.

 

And there she was, standing in front of her, in nothing but a tiny black thong. She didn’t know if it was her own attraction, or their handfasting bond, but Kady found her eyes wandering up her legs, across the flat plain of her stomach, before settling on the roundness of her breasts.

 

“You perv.”

 

Kady blinked in surprise. Margo’s head hadn’t turned, nor had her eyes moved from their focus on her new ink.

 

“I’m... sorry?”

 

“Apparently there is another side-effect of this marriage; I can feel what your feeling.” Margo raised both her eyebrows.

 

“Fuck.” Kady hadn’t considered that. “Let me just…”

 

Kady was uncharacteristically nervous as she cleaned off the bed.

 

 _‘Come ON, Kady!’_ She thought, _‘Get a fucking grip!’_

 

“Chill the fuck out.” Margo waited, hands on her hips, until Kady met her gaze. “It’s not like we have some kind of “don’t look, don’t touch” rule. In fact, I am pretty sure we were told to do both.”

 

True enough.

 

Kady looked pensive, “Even so, I should’ve asked first.”

 

There was an incredible mix of emotions that passed across Margo’s face; amusement, irritation, sorrow, and maybe even some sort of nervousness all play through, until she settled on just one: warmth.

 

“I am more than used to people not asking… But thank you.”

 

Margo walked over, standing with one leg on either side of Kady’s knees, in order to look at her carefully. Even with their memories returned, Margo could still feel the safety and security that was Sam. It was so rare that people asked for her opinion, or cared about her feelings. Most of the time, Margo would give it anyways, clawing for control in the only way she could. And sometimes she let it hang in the air, growing stagnant and foul until something or someone wiped it away. Eliot was wonderful in that he heard her, no matter what she said. But Sam, and even the Kady she once knew, did more than that. She listened.

 

She took Kady’s hands, placing them on her hips, before sliding a hand up to rest on her shoulder.

 

"I’m not good at this.” She dropped her gaze.

 

Kady watched her carefully, waiting until she continued.

 

“Loving someone.”

 

Kady’s hands fell away from her hips immediately.

 

“Don’t deny it; we can feel each other.” Margo chewed the inside of her cheek, “The only reason I even recognize this as love -despite having exactly no emotional breadth whatsoever- is because I am feeling for you what I felt for Eliot. Only this is…”

 

She fumbled, searching for the right word to describe _them_.

 

Kady finishing the sentence for her, “-More.”

 

That was exactly it; they were feeling more.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Can I be honest?” Kady waited until Margo nodded in response. “You’re not the only emotionally inept woman in this… marriage. I mean, both our moms were disasters, but Hannah went a step above.”

 

"A step?" Margo pursed her lips. "Baby, she was a whole ten floors up."

 

"Okay, that's fair." Kady let her eyes slip to the bare breasts in front of her face, a smile crawling onto her face as she felt Margo smirk, “I’m game with figuring this shit out as we go, if you are?”

 

The warm emotion was back.

 

“Take your shirt off.”

 

Kady’s brow knit in confusion.

 

“Naked, and sealed with a kiss, remember?” Margo’s hands were back on her hips, “This thong isn’t coming off until, at the very least, I get to see your tits.”

 

Kady found herself laughing.

 

“You're still fucking bold.” The detective crossed her arms, pulling her t-shirt off her body, before reaching back and undoing her bra.

 

“They don’t call me the one-eyed conqueror for nothing.”

 

Margo looked down, humming in deep satisfaction, before stepping back, pushing her panties down her legs, and kicking them off to the side.

 

Kady’s eyes swept over her wife’s -they were actually married, holy FUCK- body. And what a damn fine body it was.

 

“Okay, fair warning: I did not wake up this morning expecting to get naked with a new spouse. I’m not exactly well-maintained.” Kady gestured to her own lap.

 

It was Margo’s turn to laugh, “If I cared about that, I wouldn’t have slept with _anyone_ my first year at Cornell.”

 

Kady pulled back in surprise, “You went to Cornell? What did you study?”

 

“Kady, I am standing here looking very cute and very naked. Could we discuss my academic history some other time?”

 

“Sor-…”

 

Kady shut up as Margo leaned down towards her, fingers dancing up to curl against the back of Kady's neck, the stained brown mehndi starting to blend with the even darker strands.

 

Margo ghosted her lips against Kady’s, “Is this okay?”

 

Kady nodded.

 

“Okay.”

 

Amidst the whirlwind of hell that was their day, and in the silence of the apartment, they got lost in their first kiss.

 

Margo still felt the slightest twinge of distraction coming from Kady.

 

She broke away from the kiss, “I went to Cornell for English Literature, my thesis was on Feminism in the Literary World, and if you tell a fucking soul, I will end you. And as High King, I can do that.”

 

Kady pressed a quick kiss to her lips, then another two in quick succession because it seemed like a smarter use for her mouth than laughing. Who would have thought Margo Hanson would grow up to be such a massive fucking nerd?

 

Kady’s hands were back on Margo, sliding up around her thighs to settle on her ass. They couldn’t be sure who deepened the kiss, as hands roamed, and tongues explored, and Margo suddenly found herself pulled onto Kady’s lap.

 

It was only as Kady’s hands slid further up that Margo pulled back with a hiss. Kady felt burning go down her own spine, and she immediately moved her hands away.

 

Kady frowned, “I touched your tat, didn’t I?”

 

“Yeah.” Margo seemed reluctant to lean back, even an inch, “I think that was a sign for us to cool it for the night. If it still hurts tomorrow, I know a spell.”

 

She climbed off of Kady, not wasting any more time before diving face first into bed.

 

“You know a spell for pain?!”

 

Margo lifted her arm just enough to hold up two fingers.

 

“Brakebills second year, darling.”

 

Kady groaned.

 

“It figures, I would miss out on the spells I actually need.” She fell back, lifting her hips so she could take her underwear off, and toss them off into the corner, “Marina said we have to cuddle, right?”

 

Kady scooted up, until she was laying on her back next to Margo. Margo hummed in agreement beside her.

 

“I’ll teach you the good ones tomorrow.”

 

Margo eyed her for a second, before shuffling over, throwing an arm across her chest, and a leg across her waist. Kady looked down at her, weighing the pros and cons, before letting her hand slide down, and cup Margo’s rear.

 

Margo rolled her eyes, “Is my ass going to be a THING for you?”

 

“It has been since you hit puberty. And that first day at Brakebills, in that short as shit black skirt, and your bowtie stockings?” Kady waggled her eyebrows, “That was a personal attack.”

 

Margo sat up just enough to give her a look, “You could’ve slept with me instead of Penny, you know.”

 

“I was supposed to be using him….”

 

Margo leaned back incredulously, “Um, am I not good enough to be used?!”

 

“Oh my God.” Kady shook her head in amusement.

 

“I've known you your whole damn life, and I was a year above you! I have way more access to forbidden objects than Broody the Traveller does.”

 

Kady’s sides hurt with how hard she was laughing, “I can’t believe you are offended that I didn’t take advantage of you!”

 

“How can I not be? I’m your wife!”

 

They dissolved into a fit of laughter.

 

They both sobered soon enough. Kady absentmindedly ran her fingers up and down Margo’s side.

 

“We’ll get Eliot back.” She met Margo’s gaze. “We’ll be okay.”

 

“Will we? Before today…”

 

Margo stopped speaking. Finishing her sentence would have been a lie, no matter how she ended it.

 

She sighed, “I wanted you at Brakebills, but you had Penny. I wanted you in Fillory, but you had Julia on Earth. I even wanted you when I was Janet… And now that I have you, it’s not even fucking real.”

 

“The attraction has always been there, even as kids.” Kady kept her voice soft, “The rest? We’ll figure it out. I _am_ stuck with you for a year, after all.”

 

Margo swatted at her playfully, making Kady laugh.

 

“Let’s try to sleep. I hear worry lines aren’t an attractive quality on High Kings.”

Margo countered immediately, “Neither is a wife who disappeared under mysterious circumstances.”

 

Kady feigned horror, rolling out her dusty, yet best Godfather impression, “Bonasera, Bonasera. What have I ever done to make you treat me so disrespectfully?”

 

“Don Corleone, The Godfather.” Margo looked rather impressed, “You’re pretty good.”

 

“You're a Godfather fan?” Kady’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

 

Margo scoffed, “I have taste, don't I?”

 

That she did.

 

“After all this shit is dealt with, would you do me the honour of marathoning with me?”

 

Margo nodded once, “Only if we do full on impressions.”

 

Kady whistled. Who would’ve thought the baddest bitch was also the biggest nerd?

 

“Be careful, Your Highness. You might make me fall in love with you.” Kady’s teasing was gentle.

 

“That's fine with me, Detective.” Margo’s fingers curled into Kady’s curls. “As long as you know I might just do the same.”

 

Kady’s eyes sparkled, “Good to know.”

 

She leaned in, and kissed Margo, before pulling back to rest her forehead on hers.

 

It didn't take long before they both drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Questers take the steps to enacting Marina's plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is dedicated to Viola on her birthday!! I love you, and I hope you enjoy  
> And special thanks to Hannah, Ann, and Hailey for beta-ing! You three really saved me, giving me so much to think about, and I am so very grateful!

After their night of excessive drinking, the boys had stumbled in the early hours of the morning, drunk as the day was long. There had been one fatal error made upon their return; they managed to wake Margo on their way up the spiral staircase. 

 

The High King was livid, pan and ladle firmly grasped in her hands, as she geared up to yank them from their slumber the moment the clock struck nine. Thankfully -mostly for the inevitable hangovers waiting to happen- Kady was there too take the offending objects, and distract her with breakfast instead. Kady only just managed to keep a look of endearment off her face at Margo’s annoyed pout.

 

After the dishes were done and three plates were wrapped for later, Kady sat on the couch, eating her second helping of eggs and toast, her feet on Margo’s lap.

 

“What was with the eyepatch?” Kady only half watched as Margo painted her toenails, “I mean, you have an eye again.”

 

“I have a  _ fairy _ eye.” Margo put the nail polish brush handle between her teeth, before reaching up to tighten her early morning messy bun.

 

“So you can see more?” Kady placed a forkful of food in her mouth, and tapped her foot to an unheard beat, “Or differently?”

 

Margo pointed a delicate finger her way, “Who the fuck fidgets while eating?”

 

“ADHD, you bitch!” Kady reached over, teasingly flicking her shoulder, “But Sam made it worse.”

 

Margo’s eyebrows shot up. “You finally got diagnosed?”

 

“Last year. Too late to get support in human college, but just in time for Hogwarts.”

 

“Congratulations.”

 

“Thanks.” Kady eyed Margo, gesturing wildly for Margo to continue. “So? Eye?”

 

“The eye is a pain in the cunt.” Margo made sure to have a firmer grasp on Kady’s foot before she continued drawing the brush across her nails. “In my human eye, I see normally. But in the new one… I see all potentials.”

 

Kady watched her carefully. She knew the fairy eye had an unearthly appearance; hell, she’d expected as much. But with access to Margo’s feelings and her magic, came the ability to see the eye as it is, the iris and covering most of the eye. 

 

Kady knew she was thinking, brown eyes tracking patterns across the room, before lowering to the table in front of them.

 

“I can see how a grandfather clock was put together; every piece, every tool that was used. A group of people all stand together at a crosswalk, and I can track every single one of their steps for the day; where they’re coming from, and where they’re going.”

 

Margo paused to consider her next words. She hadn’t had much time to learn, especially since the Fairy bitch just dropped the eye on her and split, but she had tracked a few similarities, even in her frustrating months as Janet.

 

“It’s… like seeing the science behind the magic, but at the same time, the magic behind the science. It’s intense, and some days it fucking  _ hurts _ .”

 

Margo forced a smile. Pain was second nature to her. Magic came through pain, as did personal growth. The physical she could take like a fucking champ, building a mental stronghold to keep out the worst attacks. Emotional pain she shoved so deep, locking everything away with the strength of thousands of chains. It didn’t matter how unhealthy her coping mechanisms might be; they got her through the day. But the eye? That was something else entirely. It was shards of glass, and sand, and every other irritant scraping at the inside her eye socket, and the mental heaviness of a depression spiral. There were days when it almost didn’t seem worth it.

 

“When I was Janet, the eyepatch was a b-cup for double d’s; it held me together when things got too intense, but it sure as shit wasn’t going to work in the long term. Now that I’m me again, and I know what it is… I can learn to adapt.”

 

Kady frowned. Adapting was Margo’s state of being; she grew up always one step away from spinning out of control at any given moment. Kady, when she was much younger and more rambunctious, had thrown mud onto Margo’s nice new dress in an act of rebellion against their moms forcing a social interaction between them. The tinier girl took it in stride, pouting for less than a minute before naming herself the Mud Queen of New York. That was always her strength. But admitting to even the  _ hint _ of defeat wasn’t in her wheelhouse, not even as Janet. Kady had to wonder how bad it really was.

 

She turned her head, focusing directly in an attempt to connect with Margo’s power, but came up empty.

 

“I can feel you trying to get in my head.” Margo poked the outside of Kady’s ankle. “If you want to see for yourself, all you have to do is ask.”

 

They sat in silence. Kady remembered a time when she’d said those words to Penny, and a time before when her mother had warned her against the same. But she wasn’t Margo. While Kady avoided opening up to anyone, Margo had the uncanny ability to know when to share, and when to conceal. If she was offering, then she still trusted Kady the way she had when they were younger, and far more than she would ever let on.

 

“Okay.” Kady’s gaze flicked up to meet Margo’s, “This is me asking.”

 

The older woman drew a deep breath, shutting her eyes as she took down her mental guards. 

 

Kady blinked once and nothing happened. It was with the second one that the whole world changed around her. There was a kaleidoscope of colours, ones she had never seen before, and ones they didn’t have names for, overloading her vision. Lights were brighter, and darks more intense, making it hard to focus her sight. When she did, she understood. She watched the golden chair being made, could see the wood being worked, a stitch being skipped on the upholstery, she could even see the movers taking a break, leaving a sandwich to rest on the seat as they brought in the remaining furniture. It’s as she watched a ghost of Marina maneuver a glass bottle into the arm that it became too much, and so Kady tried to close her mind to Margo’s power. 

 

Except she couldn’t.

 

Their minds were open to one another, and Kady felt emotions well up, pressure building and building until it threatened to overflow. She could still see the universe in one eye, and was losing her footing on sanity with the other.

 

“Ah,  _ fuck _ .”

 

She held her head, shutting both eyes in the hopes of blocking some of the light out. No good. Instead, Kady saw her own eyelid; the cells building and shedding, blood running through her veins…

 

“I can’t…” Kady pressed the heel of her hand against her forehead.

 

Margo put the nail polish down, and shuffled closer to Kady.

 

“Yes, you can.” Margo tenderly placed one hand on each side of Kady’s head, “It’s okay.”

 

Kady blindly leaned into her touch, “Margo, my head…”

 

“You have been safeguarding your mind since before I could tie my shoes.” The High King ran a hand through Kady’s curls, “Do it now.”

 

Every shield, every ward, and spell she could think of was recited, drawn out inside her mind until the pressure subsided. She built up her walls, laying the mortar and bricks down right against Margo’s, letting them support and strengthen each other while maintaining distance. 

 

“ _ Fuck _ , I have a migraine.” Kady winced, pressure grown on the right side of her head. 

 

“Yep.”

 

Margo finger cast a minor pain relief spell, holding it until the tension faded from Kady’s face.

 

She sighed in relief. “You might just be my favourite.”

 

Margo chuckled. Kady cautiously opened one eye, blinking to adjust to the light, before slowly opening the other.

 

“You’ve been dealing with this for months?!”

 

She hummed in response.

 

“It gets easier. And drugs help.” Margo winced, “Just not psychedelics. Talk about a bad fucking trip, I’m fairly sure I saw a hundred years into the future.”

 

“Noted.”

 

The Hedge opened her mouth to ask another question, only to be cut off as the loft door flew open.

 

“Alright you fucking sickos, let’s magic this shit.” 

 

Marina always knew how to make an entrance.

 

“Goodie, Marina’s back.” Kady’s voice was dripping with sarcasm.

 

“Well, fuck you too, sweetheart.” The highest bitch in New York crossed her arms, unwavering as she stared them down. “Did you two bone?”

 

Margo put the finishing touches on the top coat of polish. “We slept together, if that’s what you’re asking.”

 

“Always doing the bare fucking minimum.” Marina rolled her eyes, before looking around the room. “Where are the boys?”

 

“Night off, remember?” Kady was careful as she lowered her feet back onto the floor. “They drank their faces off.”

 

Marina groaned loudly, before lifting both arms, and performing a complicated cast, keeping a careful eye on the ambient meter in the corner of her apartment. They heard shouts in alarm before they saw it; the ceiling above the living room went out of phase for a second, and the boys came falling through.

 

“Fuck you, and your pig-humping father!” Penny peeled his face off the ground, exhaustion and pain slowing his movements.

 

“Good morning, sunshi-…” Marina cut herself off, “NO.”

 

Everyone’s eyes fell on Josh around the same time, immediately regretting the action as they did. While Penny slept in just sweatpants, and Quentin still wore matching pyjamas… Apparently Josh slept in the nude.

 

“Fucking hell.” Kady slapped a hand over her eyes.

 

“Jesus fucking CHRIST, Hoberman!” Margo had an arm out, shielding him from her sight. “Put some clothes on!”

 

Josh had the good sense to grab a pillow off the couch, using it to cover his junk. “You know, sleeping in the buff holds a lot of benefits…”

 

Margo was having none of it. Her voice boomed in a way only Margo could, “ _ NOW!” _

 

He scampered off immediately.

 

“Fucking amateurs.” Marina pinched the bridge of her nose.

 

“Excuse me! Didn’t we stop the Beast?” A frown cut deep into Quentin’s brow.

 

“And it took you forty fucking  _ timelines _ to do it.”

 

His frown managed to deepen, “What about-?”

 

Kady held up a hand, “Let’s not rehash our past ‘successes’, okay? It’s way too early in the morning to be reminded of how close we keep coming to death.”

 

Penny nodded, “I second that.”

 

“Thirded,” Margo crossed her arms, “Motion passed.”

 

“Now that we’ve established that you’re all fucking morons.” Marina fixed Margo with a look. “How in the sweet hell did you shake the non-God?”

 

“I pegged him,” She deadpanned.

 

Marina’s eyebrow quirked in amusement; she could tell by the mixed looks on the others’ faces that Margo was fucking with her, and she almost couldn’t bring herself to care.

 

“How the fuck do you think?” In true High King fashion, Margo gave a dramatic eye roll. “I  _ asked.” _

 

Now that? Marina found impressive.

* * *

 

_ The Monster raised his left hand, bringing two fingers together in the blink of an eye. There was a tearing that cut through the air, causing Josh to bend at the waist, choking in pain as The Monster ripped open his stomach. _

 

_ This had to stop. _

 

_ “I can give you Bacchus.” The magical attack stopped as all eyes fell on Margo, “You’re hunting gods, and I’ve heard rumours he’s hiding someplace. Hiding from you, right?” _

 

_ Eliot -The Monster, Margo had to remind herself- turned his head, watching her carefully as she put her silver tongue to work. _

 

_ “Where?” _

 

_ He stood up, stepping away from the trap chair, and walked towards her. _

 

_ Margo held up a hand, slowly and carefully, waiting until he stopped.  _

 

_ “I have two conditions. One, let them live,  _ all _ of them. And two… You give us a week to find his exact location.” _

 

_ “A week for one god?” Eliot’s hair flew as the Monster stiffly shook his head. “No.” _

 

_ This time, he turned his magic on her, cutting into the skin of her stomach without hesitation. _

 

_ As redness seeped through her off-white romper, Margo could hear Quentin gasp, and see Kady start towards her, stopped only as Penny held her back. Margo did her best to fight through the excruciating pain with a straight face. _

 

_ “Is that all?” Another tear tracked down her cheek, “I’ve had menstrual cramps worse than that.” _

 

_ “You’re a strong little rabbit.” The Monster tilted his head, “No, not rabbit.  _ Bambi.”

 

_ Tears fell harder, but her face remained hard. _

 

_ “Fine. You give all of us four uninterrupted days to find you one god-“ It was then that her voice cracked, “And I, High King Margo of Fillory, will offer myself up as your vessel, in exchange for all of us trying to take your life.” _

 

_ “NO!” _

 

_ Kady’s voice broke through first, with everyone’s protests echoing through the apartment. Their cries were cut off with a sharp look from Margo. Better she shut them up, than him. _

 

_ The Monster looked the small woman over carefully, “You would do that for him?” _

 

_ Margo shrugged, “I would cut my own heart out, and serve it to you on a fucking platter if it meant Eliot, Kady, Quentin, Penny, Julia, Josh, and even fucking Alice were left alive and unharmed.” _

 

_ It was cruelty itself that warped Eliot’s mouth into the most sinister grin. _

 

_ “Let’s do that, then. If you give me my god in four days, I will take your vessel. A resourceful current High King such as yourself should get answers that the former could not.” The Monster walked his fingers up from her stomach to her throat, “But if you don’t, I will rip out your heart, and eat it.” _

 

_ He took his hand off her chest, and held it out in front of him. _

 

_ “Do we have a deal?” _

 

_ “Neither of those are great choices!” Josh chimed in immediately. _

 

_ Quentin took a cautious step closer, “Could we maybe think about this?” _

 

_ Of course, Margo ignored them. “Everyone I listed, they will be safe, right?” _

 

_ “Margo, do NOT fucking do this!” Kady’s voice wavered, “ _ Please.”

 

_ Penny wove his fingers into her belt loop, leaning back to keep her from running forward. Kady fought against him, until her Sam instincts kicked in, hand wrapping around the butt of her gun. The magician in her knew it was a fruitless act, he’d survived a God-killing bullet in Fillory, he sure as shit would survive a regular one on Earth. And yet with Margo standing there willing to put herself in harm’s way, it seemed as good an option as any. _

 

_ “I promise not to play with your  _ toys _.” The Monster didn’t even acknowledge the shouting, “You have my word.” _

 

_ Quentin’s voice tightened in desperation, “There has to be another way!” _

 

_ “There  _ isn’t _.” Margo kept her eyes locked on the Monster. “You’ve got yourself a deal.” _

 

_ And with that, she shook his hand. _

* * *

“So you fucked yourself raw, huh?”

 

Margo crossed her arms, bristling over Marina’s words. “I figured you would get a hard-on with just the THOUGHT of helping us take this fucker down.”

 

Marina matched her stance, “I gave you a fool-proof method, and you wanked it away.”

 

“You gave us Swiss cheese. Do you know what would’ve happened if he’d gotten ambrosia-ed out?” She didn’t wait for a reply, “The Monster would have crawled up the next available asshole, and we would’ve ended up wearing our insides as fashion pieces.”

 

“Which is basically what happened last time.” Josh shuffled awkwardly, “And we had a god-killing bullet.”

 

Margo gestured to him in agreement, “If your little  _ finesse _ plan fails, I’ll take him to Bacchus, and you all can get the hell out of dodge.”

 

“But you’ll be DEAD.” Penny frowned.

 

“So what?” Margo shrugged. “I didn’t expect to make it this far.”

 

“Even so, Margo…”

 

Kady could feel Margo becoming worked up and placed a comforting hand on her arm.

 

“Let’s just hope the plan works.” The former hedge locked eyes with Marina. “Okay?”

 

The high bitch of New York glanced up the stairs after Josh, before she too shrugged. “We might as well get started. Move this shit out of the way.”

 

Everyone reluctantly turned, and started shoving at the furniture, pushing it back to a safe distance against the walls.

 

Margo’s back was to Marina when the back of her shirt rode up. Marina locked eyes with the new ink and growled.

 

“What the FUCK is this?!”

 

She tried a spell, hoping to lift Margo’s shirt off, only to have Margo immediately counter. The force of the block was enough to make her stumble.

 

“I rode every historical dick from here to the Bronze Age, and you go and undo everything in minutes?!” Marina snatched her purse off the couch. “The lot of you can get fucke-…”

 

Kady cut her off. “Do you seriously think I was born yesterday? This was to keep Margo safe in case your plan doesn’t work!”

 

“The entire fucking point of the handfasting was to keep your precious girlfriend safe. And now you’re fucked.”

 

The vein in Kady’s forehead pulsed. “I am a goddamn professional when it comes to sigils. Unlike you, I’ve studied every single nuance, and know which ones are used for a total block, and which ones are purely external. Ours has no effect on our connection. They just enhance our protective barrier.”

 

“You’re that confident?” Marina stepped towards Kady, causing the younger woman to square off.

 

“You’re damn right I am.”

 

Marina smirked, “Then let’s test your handiwork.”

 

That was all the warning they received before Marina started to cast.

 

Kady blocked Marina’s attack without thought, blinking in surprise as Marina was tossed back twice as far as she normally would have been. 

 

Margo came in beside her, performing Kady’s favourite battle magic move without breaking a sweat.

 

Josh walked back down the stairs in time to watch Marina fly across the room.

 

“What the fuck-?”

 

Penny and Quentin shook their heads at him. It was safer not to ask questions, and not get in the way.

 

Marina was pinned against the far wall with a crushing force. She could only move her fingers, rapid firing a series of sharp attacks at the pair to the to the best of her ability.

 

Only a few of them connected, but it was enough. Kady and Margo paired their defence, casting in perfect harmony until vines grew from the wall, wrapping around Marina’s body and mouth until she was completely immobile.

 

“Don’t waste all the ambient!” Q’s voice jumped in worry.

 

Margo dropped the cast quickly, leaving Kady to hold it in place as she sauntered towards Marina. “So? Did we pass your little test?”

 

Marina struggled against her bonds, before relenting with a nod. Kady dropped her hands, and the group watched as Marina went plummeting to the floor.

 

“You pimping, spell-pushing sack of venomous shit.” Kady seethed, aggressively shoving her hands through her hair. “You really do get off on your little tests no matter what timeline, don’t you?”

 

“Calm your tits,  _ Little Hannah _ .” Marina rolled onto her back, “I’m the one in pain here.”

 

Margo’s arm flew up, blocking Kady as she started towards Marina at the mere mention of her mother’s name. The last thing they needed was for the hothead to punch the woman out before they got what they needed.

 

Margo kept her voice quiet. “Don’t kick a bitch while she’s down.”

 

Penny helped Marina off the floor, easing her onto the kitchen stool, as Quentin shoved a bag of frozen peas against the back of her head.

 

“You have a little blood, uhh…” Quentin vaguely gestured to the many cuts scattered across her body.

 

The hedge witch’s sarcasm was cutting.“ _ Thanks _ .”

 

“So…” Josh turned to the women. “How the FUCK did you do that?”

 

“Do what?” Margo looked Marina’s face over with her fairy eye, “Your nose is broken.”

 

She cast a spell, fixing the break before Marina could protest. A smile pulled at her lips as she felt a rush of satisfaction coming from Kady at Marina’s grunt of pain.

 

“I think he meant how did you fight like that?” Penny righted the gold chair, one of the few victims of the fight.

 

Josh elaborated, “You didn’t practice, or something, did you?”

 

Kady and Margo shared a look, the High King ducking her head to hide a growing smile.

 

“No, we didn’t practice.” Kady rolled her eyes goodhumourdly. “It’s a wife thing.”

 

“Nice to know you haven’t lost your sense of humour.” Marina quirked a smile towards her favourite former indentured hedge.

 

“Bite me.” She crossed her arms, “Shit’s been moved, we demonstrated the bond. Where is this fancy-ass plan you came up with?”

 

“A plan doesn’t need to be fancy to work. It just needs a flawless execution.”

 

Marina shifted on the seat, leaning back against the counter in her usual 'power move' sort of way.

 

“Step one: distraction.” Marina turned to Margo, “You’re going to call the murderous fucker up, take him to Bacchus, and keep him occupied until nightfall.”

 

“Wait, hang on. Quick talk?” Josh raised a finger, signalling for Marina to pause, “I know Bacchus.”

 

“Then you’ll go with them.”

 

“Knowing where Bacchus is doesn’t help him if he runs away, which he will do the second the freaking  _ Monster _ shows up.”

 

This time, Margo answered. “We’ll have to take the ambrosia. Enough of it will mess up a god long enough for the Monster to do whatever he needs to do.”

 

“He’s a  _ friend. _ ”

 

“Great, then you’ll poison him.” Margo raised her eyebrows, “He’ll never suspect a friend.”

 

Josh gritted his teeth. “Awesome.”

 

“It’s either that or he kills us.”

 

Marina looked between Margo and Josh, only for them to remain unmoving. 

 

“What are you waiting for? Call the evil fucker, so we can get on with this!”

* * *

Ten minutes after the Monster came and left with Margo and Josh, Marina decided it was time for a beer break.

 

Penny watched her carefully, “So I assume you found us because you wanted to get paid.”

 

“Of course I was getting paid. The McAllisters have a bounty on your heads, dead or alive.” The hedge bitch tapped her fingers against the glass bottle. “The real yous, not the witness protection identities. So you can see how it’d be profitable for me to get you back to normal.”

 

“What are they offering?” Quentin moved the bowl, so Kady could snag a handful of trail mix. 

 

Marina took another swig of beer, “Three Deweys.”

 

“The hell’s a Dewey?”

 

Marina glared at Penny.

 

“As in Melvil Dewey, the most famous librarian of all time? He has his own decimal system.”

 

Kady huffed, “I think you’re being generous with the word ‘famous’.”

 

Jesus. A few months with no magic, and it was like the band of idiots had been drop-kicked into a collective caveman mentality; all grunts and impulsive actions, very little intelligent thought.

 

“Okay, so in the new world order, there’s just enough magic in the air to keep the boring masses fat and happy, but if you get an itch to do something bigger, you have to file a request with the Library. They decide if you’re trustworthy, and they give you a cute little  _ battery _ in the shape of a coin.” Marina licked her lips in exasperation. “They put the faces of famous librarians on there, but Dewey’s the only one people can remember. Well, and Laura Bush, but Bushes just never stuck.”

 

Didn’t THAT say something about the country they lived in.

 

Quentin lowered his gaze, “All right, well, we’ll pay the bounty ourselves.”

 

Marina snorted. “How are you gonna get Dewey’s?”

 

“I don’t know. We’ll figure it out. We always do-”

 

Kady cut him off, “ _ Sometimes.” _

 

“Most of the time!” Quentin’s protest was weak at best.

 

Kady and Penny shared a look of disbelief.

 

“We’ll probably need help completing your alarmingly basic plan. Ideally god-like help, but I will take a genius whose body the pod power used to inhabit.”

 

Kady tilted her head back at Quentin, "Kimber D'Antoni. Architect.  _ Google _ ."

 

Kim's phone had been off every time Sam had tried, but maybe Quentin would have more luck.

 

“Name your price.”

 

“Six Deweys, two to make up for the one I used in the handfasting, and another four for the effort.” Marina smirked at Kady’s defiant glare, “And know that I have trackers on all of you, so if you try to run, it won’t go your way.”

 

She finished off her bottle, letting it clink back down on the counter behind her, as she headed towards the door.

 

“Don’t drink all my beer.”

* * *

Julia shifted awkwardly. She had somehow found the one spot of cell service at Brakebills, and made it her own. When Quentin called Kim’s phone, after all those desperate, frustrating months alone and failing at Brakebills, she had to admit, she was relieved. But with relief came a sea of questions, and so she rushed over. She couldn’t, however, shake the dread tugging at her gut.

 

The door flew open before she could over-analyze her worry, Quentin’s face appearing in a blur of affection and stress.

 

“Hey, Q?”

 

“Oh, my-“ He pulled her into a tight hug.

 

“Oh my God.”

 

“Hey. Where have you been?” Quentin fought the urge to hold her closer, instead pulling back just enough to see her face, “We couldn’t find you.”

 

Julia chewed on her lower lip, “‘Enrolled at Brakebills,’ she said, fully aware of the irony.” 

 

“I just, umm… I don’t know where to start.” He smiled, only to shuffle awkwardly. “Have you heard anything about Alice?”

 

“No.” Her tone was harsher than she’d intended, “No, I mean, not since she completely screwed us over at Blackspire. Why, where is everyone else?”

 

She got her answer pretty quickly. Quentin pulled her into the lavish apartment, and vested of her jacket in under a minute.

 

“Julia, you're here!” Kady met her in the centre of the room, dragging her into the warmest of hugs, as she sighed in relief. “I tried hunting you down -the other me- but…”

 

“I was at Brakebills.” It would never not be ironic.

 

Penny’s eyebrows shot up, “That’s a plot twist!”

 

“Right?”

 

Julia turned, eyes lighting up at the sight of the traveller.

 

“Good to see you, Penny.”

 

He awkwardly adjusted Hansel’s scarf. “Likewise.”

 

Mercifully, Julia was distracted as she glanced around the room.

 

“Where are Eliot, Margo, and Josh?”

 

Oh boy.

 

Quentin ducked his head, “Margo and Josh are with The Monster…”

 

Julia frowned, “What?”

 

Penny nodded, “Who has possessed Eliot…”

 

“WHAT?!”

 

Kady shrugged sarcastically, “And that’s what you missed on  _ Glee _ .”

 

Penny gestured to the couches, and Julia and Quentin follow the movement, dropping down in a collective stressed daze. Kady and Penny remained standing; he kept his arms crossed, leaning his hips against the back of the couch, while she chose instead to pace the length of the room.

 

“But they’re alright?” The former goddess almost didn’t want the answer to that question.

 

“Hopefully.” Quentin pushed his hair behind his ear, only to frown as the majority of his bangs fell back in his face, “They’re enacting step one of Marina’s plan.”

 

“Marina has a plan?!” She looked between the trio in confusion. “Why is Marina planning anything? That usually leads to incredible pain and suffering.”

 

“Marina’s plan is to help us get Eliot back, and deal with the Monster for good.” Penny shrugged, “I think she’s on our side this time.”

 

Kady was quick to chime in, pointing to Penny in annoyance. “As fun as Mr. Optimist’s opinion is, I have known the evil hag for half a decade, and am therefore waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

 

Amidst the wild gesturing as Kady spoke, Julia’s eyes caught on the dark brown dye stained on her palms.

 

“What’s with your hands?”

 

Right. The handfasting. Shit.

 

Guilt rocketed through Kady. As close as she was with Julia, she’d failed to open up about key pieces of her past. It was one thing for her to stay tight-lipped about Margo when it came to Penny, or any of the others. But Julia was different. Her relationship with Margo was tenuous at best, a pendulum swinging between respect and disdain. Kady couldn’t be sure which way Julia swung in the moment, so it was safer not to say anything.

 

“Uhh…” She stuffed her hands into her front pockets, “I got henna done.”

 

Julia’s brow knit in confusion at her best friend’s evasive reply. “Alternate personality thing?”

 

“Something like that.” Kady shook her head. “That’s not the point. What do you know about the magic situation?”

 

“Um, the Library put a limit on it, but you can get special permission to do big spells?” Even if she was unable to do magic, Julia still knew latest set of rules.

 

Penny chuckled wryly, “You know more than we did.”

 

“Well, I was at a magic school, so I mean…”

 

“Right.” Quentin shifted in his seat, “So in order to get Marina on our side, we have to steal a few of the  _ special permission _ coins. Six to be exact.”

 

“From the Library?”

 

“Correct.”

 

Julia side-eyed him, “That can’t end well for us.”

 

Kady nodded, “The words ‘arrested on sight’ were volleyed about.”

 

Penny scratched the back of his neck. “Especially with the bounty on our heads.”

 

Julia blew out a frustrated raspberry.

 

“If the Library's going to arrest us on sight, how do we get one of these coins, much less six?” 

 

“I asked around, so there might be another way.” Kady sat down, legs spread in her usual wide stance, “The Library's official story is that the McAllister family heroically turned magic back on. So they gave them a free pass to as many coins as they want. They give them these special cards with no limits, no questions asked. Only a few of them exist, and Hedges are calling them Black Cards.”

 

“We could steal one?” Julia looked between Kady, and Penny. They were far more adept at thievery than either she or Quentin.

 

“If you steal a credit card, it only works until it's reported stolen. With something this valuable, it's gonna happen pretty damn quick.”

 

Penny raised a good point.

 

“Forgery, maybe?” Quentin’s suggestion trailed off.

 

“Good enough to fool the Library?” Kady wracked her brain. Maybe there was a hedge who was willing to try it?

 

“I used to know a guy, a master counterfeiter.” Kady turned to look at Penny in surprise. “The Beast killed him, but…”

 

“But that was in your timeline.” Julia’s face lit up. 

 

“I  _ did _ know Frankie since before Brakebills, so hopefully your Penny did too. And hopefully he has the same number.”

 

He pulled his phone out, only to frown.

 

“Damn it,” He couldn’t help but laugh, “I still have the DJ's phone.”

 

“The Cloud is a powerful thing, my friend.” Kady finger gunned at him.

 

“I hear that.” He fiddled around with the phone. “Well, the good news is, your Penny has the same password as me, so I'm downloading his contacts right now.”

 

Everyone turned their attention to their phones, grumbling to themselves about their other lives, and the disruptions they’d caused.

 

It was only as Kady scrolled through her texts, that Julia leaned over her shoulder, and saw one contact in particular.

 

“Who’s ‘Wifey’?”

 

Kady’s head shot up, eyes wide in worry. Margo had been slick, taking Kady’s phone the night before as Kady was drawing her tats, and saving her number into Kady's phone. The High King thought it would be cute if they both had “Wifey” as the contact name, with a ring and a crown emoji next to Margo's just because she could.

 

The battle magician shared a glance with Quentin, before looking up over her head to Penny.

 

That only made Julia frown, “Okay, quick follow-up: Why do you look guilty all of a sudden?”

 

“We told you why we need the coins, but not why we owe Marina so much.” Kady used the leg resting on the table to push herself up, maneuvering her body until she could face Julia directly. 

 

Julia glanced worriedly around the room, only for her gaze to fall back on Kady.

 

“You’re not indebted to Marina again, are you?”

 

“FUCK NO, ARE YOU KIDDING?!” Kady jerked back in horror.

 

“Okay.” She reached over, and held Kady’s hand, “Then whatever it is, you can tell me.”

 

“Marina recognized that our individual powers might not be enough to stop the Monster, so she found a way to double our powers.”

 

Julia blinked, “But… wouldn’t that deplete magic faster?”

 

Kady, Quentin, and Penny shared a look.

 

Quentin drew the words out slowly, “That actually never came up.”

 

“You  _ really _ need to start asking questions.” Julia shook her head. 

 

They were all genius enough to get into Brakebills, yet dumb enough to just go with a half-baked plan. Maybe that was why they were always seconds away from getting killed. 

 

“How did she do it?”

 

Kady chewed her bottom lip, “She used a Dewey to perform a handfasting…on Margo and me.”

 

Julia’s eyebrows shot up. How does one even respond to that?!

 

“…Is THAT what the henna’s about?”

 

“Well, yeah. Margo's Indian.”

 

“Oh!” She frowned, pointing back to her childhood best friend, “Quentin told me Margo was Spanish?”

 

“Je- _ sus _ ,” Penny pinched the bridge of his nose, “Not all people of colour are the same race!”

 

Quentin held his hands up defensively, “She speaks Spanish!”

 

Penny rolled his eyes hard, “Of fucking course, the only other brown person isn’t here when this shit happens…”

 

“‘Other brown person,’” Quentin’s brow knit, “... Is this why you and Margo exchange looks all time?”

 

Penny nodded, “Anytime you say something painfully  _ white _ . The racism, we comment on.”

 

“Valid.” Kady glanced back to Penny, and shrugged, “Her mom's part Mexican.”

 

That caught Julia’s attention. “How do you-?”

 

Penny cut her off, “Mexican and Indian are not Spanish! He is DEFINITELY still in the wrong.”

 

The hedge held her hands up in surrender, “Oh, I’m not fighting you on that. I was trying to make Q feel better.”

 

Quentin dropped his head onto the back of the couch.

 

“Can we get back to the handfasting?” Julia eyed Kady, “You're married. To Margo.”

 

Kady frowned, “I know what she said hurt…”

 

Julia waved her off.

 

“I said hurtful shit too; we're square.” She tucked her feet up under her, “I'm worried about you, though. You two aren't exactly the best of friends.”

 

“I wouldn't have volunteered if I minded.”

 

“Marriage is about more than just ‘not minding’.” Julia tilted her head, hair cascading over her shoulder. “There is actual commitment involved.”

 

“You don’t think I know that?” Kady rubbed a hand over her knee. “Yes, the motivation was to save Eliot, but I’m committed.”

 

Julia watched as Kady ducked her gaze, and gaped.

 

“Kady.” She scooted forward until their knees touched, “Are you in love with Margo?”

 

Julia and Kady rarely talked about feelings. First they were fucking to keep their minds occupied, then they took steps back, and hit an immovable wall keeping their attraction for one another just out of reach. When they came back together, it was never really the same, and never really discussed. They were women who cared deeply for one another, everything left unresolved tethering them to one another probably forever.

 

“Whoa, what the fuck! I never said that.”

 

At Kady’s protest, Julia held her hands up in surrender. “Sorry!”

 

“Before the handfasting, I liked her, I guess; and not just me. Sam did too. And now the spell is intensifying shit…” Kady shrugged one shoulder, “I don’t know.”

 

“Not to freak you out any more, but it sounds to me like you love her…” Julia kept her voice soft, “And like you're falling in love with her.”

 

“Margo and I are fucking complicated… But we're family. Of course I love her.” Kady’s words were clipped, and stiff.

 

Penny narrowed his eyes, but otherwise remained silent.

 

“Complicated is fine.” Quentin licked his lips. “You have a year to learn all about her, if you want.”

 

Julia scoffed, “When was the last time anyone learned anything about her?”

 

“Eliot.”

 

One word, and the room went silent. 

 

“I know shit about her.” Kady pushed her hair out of her face.

 

The corner of Quentin’s lips quirked upwards, “Getting naked together does help with that.”

 

“No, I mean….” Kady sighed, “I  _ know _ her.”

 

Julia frowned, “What are you talking about?”

 

“Fuck, she's gonna kill me.” Kady rubbed her forehead uncomfortably. “Margo and I…. Sort of grew up together.”

 

All three voice spoke at once.

 

“What?!”

 

“Is that why you took my place?”

 

“I thought you met at Brakebills.”

 

“Nope.” She popped the ‘p’, “Our moms were hedges, and best friends growing up. Then Daniela -her mom- got her shit together, while Hannah definitely didn't. We saw each other every time the moms met up, but they lived in fucking California.”

 

“Seeing each other once in a while doesn't explain how you ‘grew up together’.” Julia leaned forward, absolutely riveted.

 

“Dani’s sister got sick, and she took it as a sign to leave Margo's dad when Margo started high school. They moved in with her sister, then we had a run of bad luck, and moved in with all three of them for a year and a half?” Kady scrunched up her nose. “Two years, maybe.”

 

“So you REALLY know her.” Penny nodded slowly.

 

“It wasn't like we were having family dinner every night. Marisol was in a bad fucking way. Dani and Hannah did what they needed to for the cash, you know?” Kady crossed her arms, “Whatever they made went to Marisol's hospital bills, her six month old son, and food.”

 

“What about the piano lessons you were telling me about?” Quentin shifted his weight as he sat on his feet.

 

“Slightly different time in my life.”

 

Julie frowned again, “Wait. If all the adults were busy, who took care of the baby?”

 

“Margo did.”

 

Penny’s face shifted from a wince to a smirk in no time, “Ouch. Poor kid-”

 

There was a dangerous edge cutting into Kady’s voice, “ _ Don't _ . You’re not our Penny, you don't know her.”

 

Quentin and Julia shared a look.

 

The ex-goddess tried to steer the conversation back to Margo. “Then what happened?”

 

Kady wasn’t having it, “Jules, I love you, but I'm not going to drop her whole fucking backstory on you. It's not my story to tell, and frankly, it's none of your business.”

 

“There goes our link to her innermost thoughts.” Quentin dropped his hands down to his sides dramatically.

 

“Too bad we don't need a link to her external thoughts.” Penny turned his attention back to the phone in his hands, “When she wants someone dead, for example.”

 

“She emotes sometimes.” Julia waggled her eyebrows at Kady, “You used to live together, so you must have seen her blush.”

 

“Oh my god, she actually has the cutest blush. When she pokes her tongue out between her teeth?” Kady hid her face in her hands.

 

One of Kady's eyebrows quirked.

 

“Actually,  _ everything _ she does with that tongue…”

 

“Yes! Now we are getting to the good part!” Julia shifted excitedly in her seat, “So you fucked?”

 

“Julia!” Kady feigned a scandalized look.

 

“What?” Julia waggled her eyebrows, “She seems like she'd be mind-blowing.”

 

“She is.”

 

Everyone, including Penny, turned to stare at Quentin in great interest.

 

“It was post-emotion bottle sex with Eliot.” He pushed his hair back behind his ear.

 

“… We WILL be circling back around to that later.” Julia reluctantly turned back to Kady. “You two haven't done anything yet?”

 

“I didn't say that.” Kady punctuated her comment with a sly look.

 

Penny quirked an eyebrow, phone temporarily forgotten as he leaned over the back of the couch on Kady's other side. “How far did you take it? We saw you holding hands, but what happened after you went upstairs?”

 

“You held hands!” Julia clasped a hand to her chest.

 

Kady’s face darkened. “Aren't you supposed to be calling your forger?”

 

Julia waved her attention away from Penny, “His forger can wait! As your best bitch, I need details.”

 

“Margo can't wait!” The corner of Kady’s lip pulled downwards, “And Josh…”

 

“Your concern for Josh is touching, Kady.” Q didn't bother to hide his smile.

 

“Hey! Let me be concerned about my wife!”

 

Julia happily leaned her cheek on her hand, “Aww, ‘wife’!”

 

Kady narrowed her eyes at her best friend, “You’re taking this very well.”

 

“Once you get past  _ Marina’s _ involvement, it's kind of cute.”

 

“More like amazingly hot.”

 

Kady turned to glare at Penny.

 

“Call Frankie, THEN you can join the conversation!”

 

Penny groaned but conceded, walking into the other room to make the call.

 

Julia’s eyes caught on Penny’s retreating form, before snapping back to Kady. “Seriously, you two will have a great life together.”

 

“It's only for a year.” The hedge picked at the hem of her jeans.

 

“That's fine, City Hall's like two blocks over. You can just renew when the time's up.”

 

Quentin bounced his knee, “Or you could get married in Fillory, make it legal in both worlds?”

 

She didn't respond. Instead, Kady looked Julia over, noting her beaming, open expression, and the joy radiating off of her.

 

“Thank you for being so supportive, even if it goes to shit.” There was incredible sincerity in Kady’s voice.

 

“Always.” Julia leaned forward, planting a big wet kiss to Kady's forehead.

 

“Guys!” The trio turned to face Penny, “He picked up.”

* * *

 

“Library Black Card.” Frankie whistled impressively, “Tricky, but I can do it.”

 

Penny leaned back in his seat, “Yeah, what'll it cost us?”

 

“Whatever you're withdrawing from the Library, double it.” He punctuated his comment with a nod at his friend.

 

“Twelve Dewey coins? That's like ‘raise an army of the dead’ level magic.” Kady shot the forger a look, “That is a big ask.”

 

“Yeah. If my forgery works, it won't matter. Now, I'm gonna need some stuff.” Frankie rubbed his hands together, “And at least a third of a Dewey coin to get us started.”

 

That caught Quentin’s attention, “You need a battery to get more batteries?”

 

“Yeah. Call it, uh, seed magic.” Frankie adjusted his glasses, “Take a little bit of something, and let it grow.”

 

That did pose a massive problem.

 

“We can't exactly walk into the Library and just ask for one.” Julia chewed the inside of her cheek.

 

“Well, there's a game of Push happening tonight.”

 

Penny frowned, “What's Push?”

 

That, Quentin knew the answer to. “It's a card game.”

 

“High rollers play for Deweys, but you can buy in for less.” Frankie leaned back in his chair, “Any of you good at cards?”

 

Everyone glanced at Quentin. Under the intense scrutiny, he shuffled, standing up and heading towards the kitchen. 

 

It didn’t take long for everyone else to follow, wordlessly relocating to the land of beer and snacks.

 

“A magic card game is hard under normal circumstances, but right now the Library's only putting out enough magic for small-scale spells.” Quentin stepped to the side, letting Julia plop herself onto the stool. “I mean, one big transformation, and I'm gonna black out the entire room.”

 

“It's about efficiency.” Frankie pulled a beer bottle out of the fridge. “Some Magicians are semi trucks, guzzling magic to do a simple spell. Some of us are Priuses. What are you?”

 

“A sensible, mid-sized…”

 

Penny cut him off, “What was the one that would always explode?”

 

“Yeah, that!” Kady only just bit back a laugh.

 

Julia threw Quentin a bone. There was no reason for all four of them to tease him mercilessly, “Can we back him up?”

 

Kady cleared her throat, and glanced at her suggestively.

 

“No, no, not me. I can't even make a spark.”

 

“I'm kind of persona non grata at Push games in this city, so…” The hedge pulled a face. Between Hannah, and her endless attempts at protecting her, Kady had very specific spots in the city that she avoided like the plague.

 

Penny shrugged, “I just don't want to.”

 

“Think we can get your wife back in time?” Julia nudged Kady with a big grin on her face.

 

Kady ducked her head, rolling her eyes to hide the grin on her face. If the biggest thing she had to worry about was Julia teasing her about Margo, she’d be living pretty.

 

“It's a one-on-one game anyway, so no backup.” Frankie settled that debate, “But, uh, good luck.”

* * *

 

Quentin had come through, winning the Push game not by magical cheating, but honest sleight of hand. Using all the magic in the room for the last hand? Actual genius.

 

Then it was their turn. Penny and Kady were camped outside the Library, doing their best to find a black card.

 

“Anything?”

 

“No.” Kady squinted through the reveal spell window, “Why are we going along with this? Marina killed my mother.”

 

Penny ducked his head, “That was a different Marina.”

 

Kady dropped the spell to scowl.

 

“How different? Are we just gonna hand her a nuclear bomb?” 

 

She shook her head. Penny -this Penny, not  _ her _ Penny- seemed to live under the assumption that they were different people between timelines. Kady didn’t see it that way; Fogg and Eliza’s changes between resets left the group with altered personalities based off differences in lived circumstances. Yet, from what Kady had seen and heard, their core selves remained the same. 

 

She had ended up indentured to Marina more often than not, the only times that wasn’t the case was when Hannah had died long before Kady was accepted into Brakebills, or the few instances where her she hadn’t developed an addiction to magic at all. 

 

And then there was Penny; hardened and overconfident in the wisdom acquired after losing everyone he cared for, he was still so similar to their Penny. 

 

“What's the alternative, we use it against her? Where does that end?” Penny’s tone was withdrawn. “I came here to get away from that kind of shit.”

 

“You know, I'm getting really sick of being the voice in the back of the room that everyone ignores. The other me, Sam, did whatever she thought was right, regardless of what anybody else thought.”

 

“I get it. Because where I came from, everyone I cared about is dead. No other voice to listen to but mine. But maybe Sam didn't care what anyone else thought because she was alone. You aren't. You have us…. And you have Margo.”

 

Kady dropped her gaze, but Penny failed to let up.

 

“You have a wife now, Kady. She is loyal, and powerful, and she offered her life up to keep us safe.”

 

He reached across the table to lay a hand on hers.

 

“Lone wolf may be comfortable for you; for Sam. But it’s not your reality anymore. If you want to keep Margo safe, you’re going to have to let her in.”

 

Kady nodded once, before a woman walking out of the bank caught her eye.

 

“Whoa.” Kady casted the Mann Reveal again, “I got something here. There's huge energy coming off her purse. It's gotta be the Black Card in there.”

 

“Showtime.”

* * *

Margo watched The Monster as he aimlessly wandered through the forest, drifting around trees, through bushes, and stumbling past all the spaces in between, carving no direct path, instead blurring lines in the fading light.

 

There was a moment, when a butterfly landed on him, and he looked it over. The corners of his lips tipped up, and all she could see was Eliot. Eliot meant everything to her, in so many ways, and a paradox in every one. He was her rock, and the river around it, he lifted her up, while keeping her grounded, taking her strength as needed, while giving her his own. He was her family in ways she never knew, or expected. Even before their naked truth trial together, they just fit, as a whole of something broken, and sharp in an equally broken world. And then after… They lived in the understanding of who they were and are at the core.

 

That man, that body, was one of the deepest loves of her life, and even the thought of hurting him had been enough to stop herself from ringing Marina’s fucking bell. If there was even the slightest chance of getting Eliot back, she had to try, didn’t she?

 

The High King strained her neck, fighting the urge to stand up from her spot on the bench to watch Eliot in the forest. She could see his lips moving from there, speaking in hushed tones to the fragile creature on his shoulder. One hand floated up, pointed and delicate the way Eliot often was, to stroke the creature’s back.

 

Then the hand came down, and crushed the animal.

 

This wasn’t Eliot; it was a Monster using Eliot’s face to hide without mercy.

 

Josh stumbling out the tent broke through Margo’s peripheral vision, worry etching the deepest of lines in his face.

 

Margo stood to greet him. “You nutsacked out, didn't you?” 

 

Josh shot her a look of confusion.

 

“Oh, well, ‘pussied out’ makes perfect sense here?”

 

Josh crossed his arms, “Well, if you mean that I couldn't go through with it, then, yes, you're right.”

 

“You do recognize that it's my ass on the line, right?” She mirrored his stance, crossing her arms, and pinning him with a look of intensity, “If he doesn't get a GOD, my heart will be his midnight snack.”

 

Josh fired back, “You should've thought about that before you decided to be an  _ idiot _ , and try to save our lives! But I'm not killing my friend.”

 

Margo sighed deeply, tapping the side of her index finger against her lips in frustration.

 

“I appreciate your stalling tactics, but Josh, we don't have a choice here.” Margo held her hand out, palm up, “Now, where is the rest of the Ambrosia?”

 

He pulled the vial out of his pocket. 

 

“Fine, but just know that Bacchus will never drink anything you give him.”

 

“I'm not gonna give it to Bacchus. I'm gonna dump it in there.” Margo pointed to the barrel the dryads and followers were drinking out of, “Everyone'll drink it.”

 

Josh frowned, “Are you nuts? There are over 100 people here. You have no idea what that will do to them.”

 

“Well, I'm pretty sure it'll fucking kill them. And I'll do it, unless you start acting like a real pussy, and take one for the fucking team.”

 

She stood there, hands on her hips, head tilted sharply to one side. It was a look she had mastered by the end of high school, and perfected in her time ruling Fillory. Margo Hanson didn’t need magic to compel someone. She didn’t even need two eyes. Her body exuded a majestic intimidation, and Josh found himself tripping over his own feet on his way back to Bacchus’ tent.

 

With his back to Margo, he failed to see her shoulders fall, chin quivering for the briefest moment, before she pulled her shit together again.

* * *

 

“Hey, uh, I'm sorry about-” Josh trailed off.

 

He had salted the rim of the goblet with ambrosia for the second time, using only what he needed, and tucking the rest back in his jacket. Margo may not have been willing to use it against The Monster, but he didn’t have the same hang ups. She was working with the hope that Eliot was alive. But even in the unlikely chance he was, was it worth the Monster killing innocents? Marina’s plan wasn’t guaranteed; the two of them didn’t even know the whole plan. Just pieces and general simplistic ideas. Margo had her backup plan ready, but so did he. If Marina fucked them over, The Monster was going to die, in Eliot’s body, or out.

 

Maybe Margo wasn’t the only good and terrible friend among them.

 

Bacchus narrowed his eyes, before he took the goblet, “We've all peed in things we regret.”

 

It was that easy to get the god's forgiveness. Then again, Josh knew a simple lie was the very least of his crimes.

 

“I know gods are supposed to be distant and unknowable, but you're a good guy.”

 

A lightness passed across Bacchus’ eyes.

 

“I want to tell you a secret.”

 

Josh fumbled, words choking on his throat as Bacchus slapped a hand on his shoulder. He slurped down the whole drink like the party god he was, only to feel the effects of the ambrosia immediately.

 

“What did you put in this?”

 

The goblet clattered as it, and Bacchus, fell to the ground.

* * *

The Monster dragged Bacchus by the leg; dirt, and leaves, and twigs scraping along his front with every step. He showed remarkable restraint, waiting until they were far enough away from the group before he grabbed his shoulders, flipping Bacchus’ meth-ed out dead weight onto his back, and propping his neck up against a tree stump.

 

“Do you remember me?” The Monster knelt over him, “Because I don't.”

 

The look of fear in Bacchus’s eyes pierced through the darkness. The Monster felt no remorse, brow knitting as an emotion that looked like sadness crossed Eliot’s features.

 

“I don't remember my name or where I came from. But I remember you.” He looked him over carefully, “You took something from me, something important, and then you threw me in a cage, and I would like for you to explain.”

 

“You remember all that, but you don't remember what you are, what you  _ did _ .” Bacchus’ voice wavered, even as he spit the words out.

 

“The word ‘monster’ has been thrown around.”

 

Neither the Monster nor Bacchus noticed as Kady, Quentin, Penny, and Julia arrived, hiding quietly behind a tree nearest to Margo and Josh, while the Monster was completely distracted.

 

“Nice timing.” Josh sounded more tired than anything.

 

The others nodded in agreement, watching the inevitable train wreck that was Bacchus’ conversation with The Monster.

 

“That's right.” The god tried to glare, but it came out fearful, “We put you with the rest of your kind.”

 

The Monster leaned forward until their faces were inches apart, “And I ate them.”

 

The magicians peered around the tree, watching Eliot’s back carefully. It was sick, really. Both that they were watching Bacchus’ torment, and that they remained so unaffected. Most of them, anyways.

 

Penny glanced down, and frowned at the tension falling off Josh in waves.

 

“You good?”

 

Josh looked between the scene before them, and Penny. “Been better.”

 

There was a humourless chuckle that fell from Bacchus’ mouth. “You’re kind of making my case for me here.”

 

“We have the same family.”

 

“Wait. Same family?” The gears in Julia's mind started turning.

 

“Julia, what-?”

 

She put a hand over Kady’s mouth, ignoring as green eyes flashed in annoyance.

 

“Same family narrows the playing field by a LOT. Do we know what he looks like?”

 

“I don’t know, he’s got fire in his eyes?” Quentin gulped, “What are we waiting for? Let’s go.”

 

Margo shushed him, dragging her flailing boy down to the ground. The others followed suit, hiding in the long grass and behind bushes.

 

“Not yet…” Margo pointed to The Monster and Bacchus.

 

“Why am I a monster and you're a god?”

 

Bacchus’ reply came swiftly, “If you don't want to be a monster, then let me go.”

 

The Monster studied his face carefully, “Give me back what you took from me, and maybe I will.”

 

“I can't, ever. I'm sorry.” Bacchus actually sounded sincere.

 

“It was a part of me, and now it's a part of you.” The Monster dragged a finger down his sternum, to his stomach, “Burning in your body.”

 

“Wait, wait!” The god’s voice rose in desperation, “This world needs me. Its god is dead. You don't have to do this.”

 

The Monster raised a dagger above his head, watching in fascination as Bacchus got more frantic.

 

“There are others. There's still time. We can figure something out. It doesn't have to be me. It doesn't have to-“

 

The Monster brought the blade down into Bacchus' stomach, gutting him right down to his navel. From their relative safe distance, the group could hear organs squelching as he ripped something out. Bacchus gasped, choking and retching on his last breath, before he died.

 

Julia turned to hide her face in the crook of Quentin’s neck, as she felt Penny’s hand take hers. Margo had Kady’s hand in one of hers, and watched Josh for a moment as he heaved, until her eye caught sight of whatever The Monster pulled out of Bacchus. She winced.

 

“What the fuck did he just rip out of him?” Josh shuddered.

 

Margo’s hand flew up, quickly covering her right eye, “Whatever it is, to a fairy eye, it's like staring straight at the sun.”

 

Julia gasped, before the others shushed her. “Oh my literal god, I’ve got it.”

 

Quentin frowned, “Got what?”

 

“I know who this fucker is.”

 

It was Kady’s turn to frown, “Wh- How?!”

 

“That is the organ of a Titan; they were the generation above the Olympians. Both generations were constantly at war -kind of like baby boomers, and millennials- losing many pieces of themselves in the process. Now one Titan in particular lost key organs to three of the Gods; his heart, his stomach, and his liver.” Julia pointed to the glowing object in the Monster’s hands.

 

“So what the frak do we do?” Josh looked the former goddess over.

 

“We go along with Marina’s plan…. And pray for a very specific divine intervention.”

 

Kady slipped a hand into her back pocket, covertly tapping the hard plastic of their luck card.

 

“That’s all I needed to hear.” Penny leaned forward, locking eyes with everyone individually, “Now?”

 

One by one, they all nodded, slowly, quietly standing. Margo and Josh stepped forward, with Quentin and Penny following behind them. Julia moved to follow, only for Kady to pull her back.

 

“This very specific divine intervention… What are the chances we’ll get it?” Kady’s eyes tracked over Julia’s face.

 

“Slim.” She chewed on her bottom lip, “We'll need luck on our side.”

 

“Right.” Kady slid the luck card out of her jeans, and handed it off, “You need this more than I do.”

 

Holy shit.

 

“Kady, how-?”

 

“The bear is a little coin-shaped at the moment.” Kady kept going before Julia could reply, “Frankie said it would run out soon, so make it quick.”

 

With that final surge of confidence, they joined the others, and readied their attack.

**Author's Note:**

> This came about half as a joke between myself and a friend, but then I fell in love with the idea.


End file.
